Reverend Dr. Thomas Ray Eden, “Brother Tommy”, age 67, of Cross Plains, TN, died February 19, 2019 after a long valiant fight against Multiple Myeloma. Brother Tommy, a proud native Nashvillian, was born at St. Thomas Hospital on August 13, 1951, to Earl Ray and Imogene Cooley Eden. He attended his mother’s alma mater, Stratton Elementary School in Madison, where he developed his lifelong love of learning.
After a year in Olmstead, KY his family moved to Louisville, where his father followed the call to seminary education in preparation for pastoral ministry. He graduated from Lakeview High School, Battle Creek, MI, in 1969 and Kalamazoo College, with a double major in music and German in 1973. A highlight of his college education was a year studying in Berlin.
He received a Masters of Music and pursued a doctorate in opera performance at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. Thomas Eden was director of many church choirs including First Baptist Church, Marshall, MI, and Irving Park Baptist Church in Chicago, IL. On July 9, 1976, he was married to his beloved Daisy, the former Nancy Day.
Both their Baptist minister fathers participated in the ceremony. After several seasons in the chorus of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Tom received a call to ministry and entered Northern Baptist Theological Seminary from which he earned his M.Div. in 1988 and a D.Min.
in 2008. His seminary internship was bilingual at the Deutsche Baptisten Missionsgeinde, Chicago, IL, under the directorship of Michael Pennington. During his thirteen years at the Lyric, his talents were recognized and rewarded with adjunct professorships at Trinity International University, Deerfield, IL, Judson University, Elgin, IL and Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL.
Thomas taught studio voice, comparative arts and directed choral groups and operas. In 1987 the Woodruff Place Baptist Church of Indianapolis called Tom as their senior pastor. He led the church through its transition from decline to renewal and attracted a new generation of leaders, committed to the church and living in the inner city.
Pastor Tom continued to be a teacher as well. He taught at Taylor University, Northern Baptist Theological Seminary and Martin University. A world traveler through the Lyric Opera and mission trips, he visited Kenya, Peru, Italy, Russia, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
He preached, taught, sang and shared his love of the Lord. In 2015 the Edens moved to Robertson County, TN, his ancestral home, where in semi-retirement, Brother Tommy became pastor of Oak Grove Baptist Church, Springfield. He is survived by his wife, Daisy and her siblings, nephews, nieces, cousins and friends.
He was preceded in death by his father in 1988, his mother in 2018, and his brother, Terry, who died only six days prior to his death. Visitation will be at the Austin & Bell Funeral Home in Springfield on Friday, February 22, from 5-8pm and at Oak Grove Baptist Church on Saturday, February 23 from 12-2pm, service immediately following. His body will be interred at Hopewell Baptist Church, joining five generations of Edens.
If so desired memorial contributions may be made to Vanderbilt Medical Center Multiple Myeloma Research. Any donations may be sent in c/o Austin & Bell. Austin & Bell Funeral Home in Springfield is in charge of these arrangements.
AUSTIN & BELL FUNERAL HOME- 509 WALNUT STREET, SPRINGFIELD, TN (615) 384-1000 To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Reverend Thomas Eden please visit our Sympathy Store.
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